


A Hop Skip and Jump Back

by Runs_With_Wolves1



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alive Reginald Hargreeves, Angst, Apocalypse Fix-it, Army, BAMF Klaus Hargreeves, BAMF Number Five | The Boy, Ben Hargreeves Lives, Ben Hargreeves' Tentacles | Bentacles, Big Brothers, Boyfriends, Brother-Sister Relationships, Brotherly Love, Brothers, David "Dave" Katz Lives, Diego Hargreeves is Bad at Feelings, Dr. Pogo Lives (Umbrella Academy), Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family Feels, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Flashbacks, Gen, Good Parent Grace Hargreeves, Good Sibling Allison Hargreeves, Good Sibling Luther Hargreeves, Good Sibling Vanya Hargreeves, Guns, Homophobic Language, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Immortality, Jewish David "Dave" Katz, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves-centric, Luther Hargreeves Needs A Hug, M/M, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Mother-Son Relationship, Number Five | The Boy Has Issues, Pansexual Klaus Hargreeves, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Allison Hargreeves, Protective Ben Hargreeves, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Protective Klaus Hargreeves, Protective Number Five | The Boy, Protective Vanya Hargreeves, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Season/Series 01, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Stuttering Diego Hargreeves, Telekinetic Klaus Hargreeves, Time Travel, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Veteran Klaus Hargreeves, Vietnam War, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:35:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26042029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runs_With_Wolves1/pseuds/Runs_With_Wolves1
Summary: Five runs out the front door and thirty seconds later there is a flash and two men with a breifcase are standing in the dining room. Five is slung over the taller man's shoulder, unconcious.Reginald jumps up, the children also preparing to fight. One of the men smiles and waves a hand, the word 'Hello' tattooed on the palm."Hi! I'm just returning this."The man gestures at Five.There is an umbrella tattoo on the stranger's wrist.The breifcase catches fire.----Klaus thinks he knows what causes the apocalypse and sets off to fix it. He's wrong about the cause, but that doesn't mean his solution isn't working.Dave's there to keep his lover on track.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Grace Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Dr. Pogo, Klaus Hargreeves & Everyone, Klaus Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Reginald Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves/David "Dave" Katz, Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 29
Kudos: 425





	1. Chapter 1

At first, Klaus doesn't leave because he doesn't understand what the hell is going on. One minute he's on a bus heading home, next second he's on the ground, and somebody is shoving a firearm in his hands and a helmet on his head. Growing up as a child soldier, Klaus is no stranger to being in firefights. This is not like when he was a kid; this is a massacre. Klaus has sufficient clarity of mind to snatch the briefcase and follow the others as a retreat is made.

The second reason Klaus doesn't leave is that he has no notion how to use a time-traveling briefcase. The dial on the latch is a bit confusing, but Klaus is pretty confident he can figure out how to drive the outrageous thing. Date, time, longitude, and latitude. Appears obvious, but. . . If he's wrong, he could end up anywhere at any time. Once bitten, twice shy.

Finally, by the time Klaus is sure he's got the briefcase figured out, there's a third reason for staying; Dave.

Somehow in the heart of a bloody war; Klaus has found love. On the front lines between skirmishes, they plan their lives after the war.

Dave wants to reside in the country with no neighbors to notice them together. Klaus craves a garden and possibly a couple of chickens. It's a plan they can both get behind.

Until it happens.

The company is trekking forward through the thick undergrowth, Klaus two strides in front of Dave, rifle carried close as he surveys the wilderness for Charlie. The calm hush is abruptly shattered by gunfire and cries.

The only thing Klaus can see is Dave's face; blood splattered across it. Someone is wailing for a medic. Dave's hands are coated in blood, and all Klaus can think is that Dave's been hit, but that doesn't seem right. Dave is kneeling over him, hands on his chest. Klaus isn't certain when he ended up on the ground. Dave is the one calling for the medic. Opening his mouth, Klaus tries to speak. All that emerges is blood, the coppery liquid gurgles and bubbles from his lips. Number Four looks down at himself and blinks.

Oh.

He's been shot.

Dave is desperately attempting to stop the bleeding from the hole in his chest, but Klaus knows it won't help. He can feel the exit wound between his shoulder blades, can feel as the blood seeps into the soil beneath him. Klaus wants to tell Dave he'll be ok. This isn't the first time he's died by a gunshot wound. This isn't even the first time he's been slain in this war.

He needs to. . . 

. . .

He needs to tell Dave something. . . something important.

. . .

Klaus lets the world go dark as he contemplates Dave's crying face. He'll tell him when he wakes up.

* * *

With a massive gasp of air, Klaus comes back to the living. He rolls over in the dead leaves and vomits the blood he'd swallowed while dying. Klaus hacks a few times and sighs when no more blood arises. He scrubs his face and glances at his surroundings. Corpses of his battalion are scattered around, a few Vietnamese soldiers in the mix. Ten feet from Klaus is Mike Willson's body. Mike was a kind man who had enlisted to fight for freedom. Now Mike's spirit is sobbing over his body. Klaus stands, and Mike goes quiet and gapes in shock.

"Hargreeves."

He ignores the ghost and looks around him, attempting to figure out which way his company went. They most likely retreated to the frontline camp, but Klaus has to know for sure.

"Mike."

Mike startles, and his mouth drops open in surprise. He stands up and stumbles to Klaus, blood trickling from his stomach injury.

"Klaus! I don't understand what-"

Mike's hand goes through Klaus's shoulder, and Four tries to hold back his grimace at the frigid feeling. The ghost chokes back a sob and goes back to his own body.

"Please, please! I don't want to die!"

Mike is praying over his body, desperately trying to grasp it. At first, Klaus is stunned. Why did Mike dismiss him once he realized he couldn't touch him? He eyes Mike, and it startles him to realize Mike believed Klaus couldn't see him. He thought Klaus was addressing the body, not Mike's ghost.

Around the clearing are shadows of unformed spirits, they'll most likely form soon, but Klaus does not want to wait and ask another. Mike is here already.

"Mike, I can see you."

Mike looks up, eyes wide.

"You- you can see me?"

He nods and nearly staggers when his vision blurs, and the world spins. Klaus swallows hard and blinks everything back to normal. He yearned to be high.

Mike scrambles to Klaus again but doesn't attempt to grab him.

"Can you hear me?"

Nod.

Mike laughs and smiles through the tears.

"Oh, this is great! I can't be dead if you can see me! Look, Hargreeves, you've gotta help me get back! I can't get back into my body. I need a medic."

Oh.

He's still in denial.

"Mike, a medic wouldn't help. I'm sorry, but you're dead."

Mike paces in circles, yanking at his hair.

"No, no. You can see me."

"I can. I was born with this power."

That gets Mike to halt his pacing.

"Power? I mean we all knew you weren't exactly normal, but powers?"

Klaus shrugs.

"Wait, powers! Maybe a medic won't help, but you can! Use your powers to put me back!"

"I can't. That's not how they work. I'm sorry, I really am, Mike."

"No no no no no-"

The deceased soldier is in near hysterics, hyperventilating even though he doesn't require air.

"Mike, I can't help you but-"

"You were dead! I saw you go down! Lee had to drag Dave off of you!"

Klaus's heart jumped a beat.

"Is he OK?! Is Dave OK?!"

It seemed that a sliver of normality got through to Mike.

"Yeah, your loverboy was uninjured when they retreated."

Dave was OK, and they'd moved back. Klaus knew where to go from here, but. . . it seemed so wrong to leave Mike alone. This was Mike Wilson, the man who'd caught Dave and Klaus making out and warned them to be more cautious, the man who sucked at poker but continuously won when playing blackjack, the man who'd once dragged back Dave's unconscious form after he'd been wounded. Mike was their friend. Klaus may be able to see him, but he was still dead.

Tears began to well up in his own eyes as he looked at his comrade.

"Mike. . . is there anything I can do? Move your body or. . .?"

The ghost sighed and shook his head.

"No. They'll be packing up camp and moving back soon. If you don't leave now, you'll miss them. Just. . . there's a picture in my pocket. Can you get it to my wife?"

Klaus nodded and gently took out the photo Mike was pointing to. It was a picture of Mike, his wife, and their newborn son. The only photo they had of all three together. Everyone knew Jamie, had seen the pictures of the now toddler. Klaus felt choked up and swallowed past his tears.

"I can't give it to her directly, but I'll make sure our CO gets it. He'll get it back to her."

"T-Thank you."

Klaus nodded and gathered his gun and helmet before turning away. He paused.

"He Mike, if you ever go back to the States, keep an eye out for the Umbrella Academy, 2019. If you need me or want to talk."

Mike nodded and drifted away from his body. One of the shades had formed; a Vietnamese soldier. Mike immediately started beating the other ghost. Anger. The second stage of grief.

* * *

It took Klaus two hours to reach his company's camp. He silently circled. They all thought he was dead, walking in could cause problems. There was a hush over the base as everyone worked. They were mourning the lost. Klaus had never been one of the ones lost before. All the other times he'd died, no one had been around to see, or it was all too busy for anyone to notice. Klaus's miraculous escapes had become a thing of legend among the 173rd.

That wasn't the case now. With Klaus and the other soldiers killed, this was the most extensive loss the company had faced.

And Klaus couldn't go to them.

His friends were mourning him, and he couldn't go to them. He couldn't let them know he was alive. They would ask questions he couldn't answer. Klaus feared a dissection would be in his future if that particular secret got out.

Klaus needed to find Dave and get out of here. His footsteps were silent as he circled, finally catching sight of Dave.

Dave was sitting on the edge of camp behind a tree, clutching a pair of dog tags. He was sobbing quietly. Klaus subconscious reached for his dog tags and found them gone. Dave had his dog tags.

Dave was sobbing over Klaus's dog tags.

Klaus approached and called out gently.

"Dave."

Dave's head shot up, eyes wide. He scanned the jungle before landing on Four.

"Klaus?"

Dave stood slowly as if afraid any sudden movements would cause Klaus to disappear.

Fuck that.

Klaus jogged the ten feet between them and pulled the taller man into a hug. Dave grabbed his vest and sobbed into his shoulder.

"Don't leave me, don't leave me, don't leave me."

They gently swayed as Klaus held Dave, letting the man cry.

"I'm here. I'm staying. I'm here."

Dave sunk to the ground, Klaus following him, not letting go. He would never let go again.

Finally, after nearly half an hour, Dave pulled back, wiping his face and looking Klaus over.

"I don't understand. You were dead. I held you as you died."

"I know. I'm sorry. I. . . Dave, I'm not normal."

Dave huffed and raised an eyebrow. Klaus noticed that while they were still kneeling on the jungle floor, Dave had not let go of Klaus's shoulders.

"I hate to tell you this, Doll, but as long as I've known you, you've never been normal."

"True, but I meant more than that. I have powers, and I don't have time to explain, but I need you to do two things for me."

"OK. Whatever you need. We'll be coming back to those powers, though."

Klaus nodded and handed over Mike's picture.

"I need you to give this to Captain Lawrence. Get it back to Mike's wife. The second thing I need you to do is to get the briefcase under my cot. Whatever you do, please don't open it. That's the most important part l. Please, Davey, whatever you do, don't open it."

Picture securely tucked into Dave's vest pocket, he nodded.

"I promise I won't open it. But you have to promise to be here when I get back."

Klaus held Dave's face in his hands and kissed his nose, wiping away a stray tear from his cheek.

"I promise you everything; I will never leave you."

Dave nodded and headed off into camp. Twenty-five minutes later, Dave came back with the briefcase and both Klaus's and his go bags. Dave knew they were leaving and had packed. God, Klaus loved this man.

The briefcase was handed over along with Klaus's dog tags. Klaus put the dog tags back on and started to fiddle with the dial.

"What is this?"

"This, my love, is a time machine I stole from two creeps who kidnapped me."

"Oh. So we're gonna time travel? When to?"

Klaus's first thought is 2019, back to his family. But a glance at Dave changes that. 2019 is the end of the world, and Klaus can't save Dave from war only to drop him in the apocalypse. Klaus smiles.

"To save the world!"

Dial turned to the correct date and location; they both grab ahold of the briefcase.

They're gone in a flash.


	2. Chapter 2

When Five disappeared, it wasn't the last time he was ever seen again; Five was spotted twice after jumping forward in time. Reginald knew where he would be, just not when. Cameras were set up all down the road with alarms back at the Academy for when the cameras detected Five.

The glimpses of their brother were quick, but Reginald had drilled in the exact times and places Five was. The two videos of the kid were so bittersweet. Each time jump was losing him all over again, causing them to grieve and mourn him. Klaus had gone out and overdosed after every appearance and disappearance of their brother. A few seconds of Five jumping into the world, looking like he was on a simple stroll through the park, then he was gone. Poor kid had no idea.

At the time, Klaus desperately wanted to forget Five, forget when he would flash in and out of their lives before anyone could stop him. Now Klaus was glad he remembers when and where. It was simple; when Five was jumping through time: apocalypse. When Five wasn't jumping through time: no apocalypse. Therefore, if Klaus could catch Five and return him before he got stuck in the future, there shouldn't be any world-ending catastrophes.

6 years, 8 months, 4 days, 2 hours, and 32 minutes after Five disappeared, he was spotted jumping in one block from the Academy. 28 seconds later, and he was gone.

Klaus and Dave landed two minutes earlier than Five. Both stumbled at the rough landing; Klaus dropped the briefcase onto the sidewalk and swayed where he stood. Dave reached out to steady him.

"Easy, Doll. Deep breaths."

Klaus really wished the world would stop spinning. Dying and then time traveling didn't seem to mix well. The dizziness passed, but the nausea stayed. Good enough for now.

"Thanks, Davey."

Dave brushed one of Klaus's curls back from his forehead but quickly drew his hand back when he realized they were on a busy sidewalk. A couple of people were glancing at them, but Klaus bet it was more because they were dressed in army uniforms and covered in dried blood and not because of the adoring way they looked at each other.

"Where are we.  _ When _ are we?"

"Welcome to New York City, 2008."

Dave looked around with wide eyes and then frowned.

"No flying cars?"

Klaus laughed, picking up the briefcase in one hand and swinging his other arm around Dave's shoulder.

"Sorry, no flying cars. We do have phones that can fit in our pockets, though."

"Huh."

Klaus shook himself and handed the time-traveling machine to Dave.

"In one minute, my brother is about to time travel here. We need to stop him before he jumps away."

It was so obvious Dave wanted to ask. There were so many questions, but he held back and nodded. A feeling of love so overwhelming took hold of Klaus, and he knew right then that when this was all over, he was going to marry this man.

Klaus turned away to hide his wobbling smile and waited. Suddenly the air split apart, and a thirteen year old Five stepped into 2008. The kid was walking with a smirk, and his head held high. Poor thing had no idea how much danger he was actually in.

"Five!"

Five stopped and turned to them, backing up at the sight of two men covered in blood with guns strapped to their backs.

"Five, wait! It's me, Klaus!"

Five paused and squinted at him.

"Klaus?"

"Yes! Look."

Klaus rolled up his sleeve to show him the umbrella tattoo on his wrist. The younger Hargreeves stepped tentatively forward to get a better look but kept a good few feet of distance between them.

"Klaus?"

He smiled as Five circled him, taking in his appearance.

"Tell me something only Klaus could know."

"Hmm. I broke my jaw when I was 12 after falling down the stairs wearing Mom's heels. When I was ten, I stole Allison's eyeshadow and broke it. She retaliated by stealing all of my left shoes. I went on a mission with one shoe, and Dad got so mad that both Allison and I got grounded."

Dizziness came and went quickly through Klaus, and he swallowed hard against his nausea. Best to not throw up on his brother while trying to rescue him.

"Klaus? It's really you?"

"Yessiree! You're favorite brother!"

He spread his arms for an embrace, but Five raised an eyebrow at him and didn't step forward. Klaus dropped his arms, hiding the fact that he was actually upset about not receiving a hug.

"Ok. Klaus. What do you need? What year is it? Surely older me could help you."

"It's 2008 and-"

Five took a step back and glared.

"You don't look 19."

"I'm 30. I've time-traveled as well using that machine."

Klaus jabbed a thumb back at Dave, who held up the briefcase to show."

"A briefcase?"

Dave shrugged and let the machine hang at his side. Klaus snorted.

"It needs to blend in."

Five chewed on his lip, and Klaus felt nostalgia take hold for a moment. It was an old habit of Five's that their father had tried to break him of. You don't want to be chewing on your lip in battle and accidentally bite through it.

"Ok, you're definitely Klaus, but time-travel. If that's true, why are you here?"

"To save you, Fivey. You ran out at breakfast to time travel and never came back."

"What, why? What happened?"

"You got stuck in the apocalypse."

Five's eyes widened, and then he started to laugh.

"Look, I know you like to play pranks, but the apocalypse? Yeah right. Go bug the older version of me; I've got places to be. See you around."

With a cry of alarm, Klaus reached out to grab Five. He grabbed empty air as Five jumped away.

A strong hand on his shoulder held him steady. Leaning back in Dave, Klaus sighed.

"Klaus? Now what?"

"Now? Take two."

Klaus set the dials on the briefcase, and the two of them grabbed on. There was a flash, and they were standing on the sidewalk, snow on the ground.

12 years, 11 months, 14 days, 9 hours, and 42 minutes after Five disappeared, Klaus, Dave, and Five jumped simultaneously.

"Five!"

Five glanced back and stumbled on ice as Klaus was quickly approaching.

"What the- how?"

"I told you, time-traveling briefcase. You jump one more time, and that's it. I won't be able to find you."

It was true. Klaus had no idea when Five ended up in the apocalypse. If Five jumped, it was all over. He would be stuck in the apocalypse, and Klaus would have no way to get to him except to jump to the day of the disaster and wait. How long would depend on when Five arrived. Klaus could end up staying there for him for a day, or he could be waiting for ten years.

"I'm here to take you back home, so let's skip the arguing and go."

Klaus reached for his brother.

The kid quickly turned and jumped.

Klaus stood there in shock. He had the chance to save the world, and he'd blown it. Before there was time to really let that sink in, he was punched in the back of his head. Spinning around, he came face to face with Five. Five hadn't jumped forward in time; he'd jumped behind Klaus for a fight! The punch hadn't hurt too bad, he was much taller than Five, and the kid had been unable to put a lot of power into it when just trying to reach him. It was a fighting move only Five used because he could jump around and tire out his enemies with quick jabs. Klaus still felt off since coming back to life, so he swayed slightly but stayed standing.

Five made to jump again, but his powers stalled. The kid looked confused for a moment before Dave came up behind him and whacked him over the head with the briefcase. Klaus caught his brother as he slumped forward.

* * *

Reginald felt unease as Five ran out the front door. He'd let the kid go throw a tantrum and when he came back he would sit Five down and explain exactly why he could not time-travel yet. It was dangerous and he would not risk one of his children to their powers. That was why Seven was drugged and why Four had to face his fears. Their powers were dangerous to not only the people they fought but to themselves. Five would come back because surely the child was not stupid enough to try time-traveling without Reginald there to oversee it.

Yet Reginald still felt uneasy at seeing one empty seat at the table.

All those thoughts came to a stop as a bright flash blinded them. When the light fades, two men with a briefcase are standing in the dining room. The unconscious form of Five slung over the taller man's shoulder.

Reginald jumps up, the children also preparing to fight. The man holding the briefcase smiles and waves a hand, the word 'Hello' tattooed on the palm.

"Hi! I'm just returning this."

The man gestures at Five.

There is an umbrella tattoo on the stranger's wrist.

The briefcase catches fire and the man yelps and drops it, backing away. Grace is there quickly and puts out the fire with an extinguisher. Luther quickly grabs Five from the other man, pulling his limp brother out of the danger. The man with the umbrella tattoo bends over and pukes on the floor.


End file.
